World can no longer avert its eyes from threat Iran poses

An Iranian leadership that spouts vile rubbish calling for Israel to be
"wiped off the map" is alarming. That same leadership with the
potential to build nuclear weapons would be downright scary. That's why
major European nations, with Washington joining in, were right to
declare that there is no sense in continuing to talk with Iran. They
want to refer the matter to the United Nations for possible sanctions
before Iran actually builds a bomb.

It has taken long enough for Europe, and maybe even Iran's friends
in Russia and China, to get the message that Iran isn't kidding about
its intentions to acquire nukes. But early in the week, the Iranians
took the seals off internationally monitored nuclear facilities,
signaling they mean to build nuclear weapons.

Iran says its nuclear facilities are only for peaceful purposes. But
its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calls for the destruction of Israel
and the creation of a European enclave for Jews. These are the words of
a man who means what he says. No less discomfiting is Iran's long
history of supporting terrorist groups.

Just how much time does the international community have before Iran
goes nuclear? Some say years. But Israel, for one, isn't about to wait
to find out. The Israelis believe Iran will have the capability to
begin work on a bomb within a year or two.

That puts a big challenge before the endlessly indecisive United
Nations. Are economic sanctions in order? There's no guarantee that
economic sanctions will dissuade the Iranians. They are already under
U.S. sanctions. And Americans will suffer if Iranian oil is
embargoed.

But a clear signal must be sent that there is a price to be paid for
snubbing the international community and for putting the world at risk
of a nuclear nightmare.